It's a Pip!

@nopipbutcpip

Dice-wrangler, bureaucrat-whisperer, wearer of hats and bearer of walking sticks. He/him. Adult human, well past the age of majority in my jurisdiction.

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It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· 24d

It was a little tricky to get this pic for the angle on the outside of my arm. I had a pencil, point side sticking out of my pants pocket, and I was hurrying along and swung my arm right down into it. The tip broke off and then it jabbed me again.

A close up of the 35 year old graphite embedded under Pip's skin. Two small dots can be seen.

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· 27d

The Northumbrians, under King Ricige, launch a mighty attack from the North, driving the Heathens south of the Ouse. In Wessex, Alfred bides his time and raises his troops, and the Mercian King covers at Weogorna (Worcester).

Portion of the game board, showing the situation at the end of the Anglo-Saxon Phase of Game Turn 1. All three towns in Northumbria are now occupied by Northumbrian units, with Viking forces now investing Lincylene (Lincoln).

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Jun 28

Danish adventurers sail across the North Sea, inspired by the tales of plunder. A host of Danish hirds land at Escaecanter (modern Exeter), on the southern shore. Meanwhile Guthrum, having installed loyal vassals in East Anglia, leads the heathens against Mercian forces to take Weogorna (Worcester).

A picture of the game board for the described game, zoomed in on the western part of the map, showing Danish forces at Exeter and Heathens at Worcester.

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Jun 27

In the continuing cleaning of the Manor, we pulled out a very old vacuum cleaner, a Hoover Concept Two (from the mid-1980s). Turns out not only does it still work fine -- honestly, it's a damn fine vacuum -- but you can still get the bags for it. Score!

An advertisement from the 1980s for the Hoover Concept Two vacuum. The text of it reads:

"The Hoover Concept Two is two vacuum cleaners in one.
One, a super powerful hand vac for cleaning upholstery, draperies, stairs, whatever.
Two, a super powerful self-propelled upright that zips right along with no pushing or pulling. Makes vacuuming just about effortless.
You control its power electronically At the touch of a button you can increase power for carpet cleaning. Or decrease its power for vacuuming throw rugs and bare floors.
The convenient Concept Two helps you finish your housework faster. It's the world's best vacuum cleaner. Made right here at home, in America.
Ask your Hoover dealer for a demonstration. And see why it's all the vacuum cleaners you'll ever need.

Help-Mate II hand vac with wall mount also available separately.

America Trusts Hoover."

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Jun 9

Having found the one biography of Young (which Stephen Ambrose described as "a mediocre book about a mediocre subject"), here's these quotes.

The news of John Brown's trial and sentence caused considerable excitement at West Point and was closely followed by the
cadets. Many of the Southern cadets denounced in violent and
passionate terms the abolitionists and everyone in the North who
shared the abolitionists' antipathy to slavery. One day during the
trial Pierce, on guard with Cadet John H. Calef of Massachusetts,
got into an argument with Calef over the trial. Exasperated and
chagrined, Pierce swore that he wished he had a sword as large as
from West Point to Newberg, and had the Yankees all in a row so
that he could cut off the heads of "every damned one of them."

Holland, Lynwood M. "Pierce M.B. Young: The Warwick of the South", University of Georgia Press, 1964.

Slowly but surely sectionalism spread like an epidemic among the cadets at West Point. The Southern hotheads and the impetuous Northern cadets frequently clashed verbally, and sometimes, more often than the authorities knew, the clashes ended with bodily harm until honor had been defended. The witnesses to such incidents never reported them.

Ibid.

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Jun 8

Same. The bunny who lived with us most recently actually grew up around cats in a rescue, and so he was even MORE cat than some.

A black and white minilop rabbit, looking towards the camera with curiosity. He is on a beige carpet, among a forest of chair legs.

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Apr 19

At the end of GT10, the Central Powers have surrounded Iaci, are advancing on Brasov and still besiege Constanta. The Romanian capital region is heavily defended, but many Central Powers units are in western and Northern Romania. No clear path for a Romanian victory or even a draw. Joe resigns.

Photo of the gameboard as of the end of Game Turn 10, as described.

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Apr 6

All I'm going to say here is that "cry if you need to" can pop up in D&D too. Also, from @riseupcomus.bsky.social's excellent game, HIS MAJESTY THE WORM:

Text: "Role-playing games have been compared to sex. You usually do it with friends. Sometimes you pay someone to be your dungeon master. Sometimes safe words help. Sometimes you don't need them. Ultimately, it's important that everybody involved enthusiastically consents to the stuff that's going on and everybody is having fun."

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Mar 22

The Romanian offensive is already losing steam. While they have taken Brasov, the arrival of the AH XI Corps has stalled the attack on Hermannstadt (Sibiu) and broken the Romanian III Corps outside of Schassborg (Sighisoara), on the banks of the Tarnava Mare.

The situation at the end of Game Turn 4. A large Austro-Hungarian force (red on white counters) has moved around Sibiu, meeting Romanian troops (yellow on light green counters).

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Mar 20

Taken from the old webcomic 8-bit Theatre, a.pixelized depiction of the Fighter from early Final fantasy games. His arms are lifted high. And a speech bubble exclaims, over his head, "It's true!"

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Mar 15

It's okay that it's still a repressive society, because, you know, some people are making money and look less unhappy on the train.

An excerpt from the article being discussed in the thread.
"The range of nationalities has expanded, and there are many more Africans than before. What I find most encouraging in the faces of those passengers is that even in war, their expressions carry a relaxed look that I almost never saw in the 2000s. They have few freedoms, but the intervening decades have improved their wages and general well-being."

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Mar 8

Playtest season 2026 has begun! With @joea64.bsky.social, we are playtesting Romania 1916, expected to be published next year in Strategy & Tactics issue 371. The game covers the 1916 Romanian campaign, starting with Romania's August offensive and carrying through to December.

The board at the start of a playtest of Romania 1916. The map covers most of Romania, and the adjoining regions of Bulgaria, Austria-Hungary, and Russia.

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Mar 3

Pierogi is here. Look upon her fluffiness.

A photo of a juvenile African Penguin in a rockybhabitat. A band on her right wing informs you that her name is "Pierogi".

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Feb 27

Post old memes to confuse the young. (Are there young people on here? Do they even care?)

A blocky, faceless red robot is leaning towards the camera. Large text next to it reads "WE ARE HERE TO PROTECT YOU".

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Feb 25

While we're having Hot Mustang Takes. The AAF dropped the ball when they numbered the Twin Mustang as "F-82". I don't care that it would have skipped ahead in the sequence. The only proper designation should have been F-102.

The prototype Northrop F-82 Twin Mustang. It looks like two F-51 Mustangs welded together at the wingtips.

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Feb 3

No new pictures. Where are you at mentally?

A very fat-looking orange cat sits awkwardly by a window, their back legs splayed oddly. They look perturbed.

A caption reads, "Due to unfortunate circumstances, I'm awake."

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Jan 23

In "odd things I've learned from RPGs" -- including a wide array of vocabulary -- I have learned about differences between "thinhorn" sheep (Ovis dalli) and bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis). Also, they're cute. Look at those rams frolicking. (Credit: NPS, reproduced on Wikipedia).

Three Dall sheep rams, with prominent curved horns, are standing in the grass by a trail located in Denali National Park. One of them is up on his hind legs, while the others watch. It's hard to tell if they think he is cool for imitating bipeds, or hopelessly lame.

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Dec 24

Any of these things are functions of the game world. Why do elves and dwarves mature slowly and don't breed as prolifically as humans? Why do they live for many multiples of human lifespans? Why do they need to have level caps? Gygax complains about it, but he's the one who made it so!

"After long contemplation of the plight of dead-ended demi-human characters, and considerable badgering from players with same, it seemed a good plan to work up some new maximum levels for those demi-humans with supra-normal statistics - and in a couple of cases, just reward those with high stats across the board. Demi-humans were limited in the first place (in the original rules) because I conceived of a basically human-dominated world. Considering their other abilities, if demi-humans were put on a par with humans in terms of levels they could attain, then there isn't much question who would be saying "Sir!" to whom."

Gygax, "From the Sorceror's Scroll", Dragon Magazine #95, March 1985

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Dec 18

To me, this is the best one:

Investigations reporter Katherine Long tried to convince Claudius it was a Soviet vending machine from 1962, living in the basement of Moscow State University.

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Dec 9

Well, you too can try this. I got Bard.

A picture of an androgynous humanoid figure with pointy ears, white hair, and carrying a giant stringed instrument over their shoulder.

Text at the bottom reads: "Your Result: Bard"

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Nov 13

I'm sorry, are we supposed to take this claim seriously?

"The 1970s saw the abuses of the national security state generate a forceful public reaction. That turned out to be a rare moment. Instead of a pendulum swing, we have seen a ratchet effect. The national security state has acquired more weapons in the intervening decades, and the resistance to it has become feebler. This has hit conservatives hardest, because many still imagine that our constitutional culture remains largely intact. To the conservative mind, most Americans still believe that protecting civil liberties matters more than attacking one’s enemies."

Quoted from the article Sharon linked, at https://americanmind.org/salvo/enemies-of-the-state/

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Nov 8

These are delicious, and indeed spicy. A delightful burn.

A bag of Lay's potato chips, with Chinese characters, except where, in English, it identifies them as "Numb and Spicy Hot Pot Flavor".

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Nov 7

From a short-lived YouTube series that is gone now, me as "the hobgoblin".

Pip, circa 2012, wearing green face and body paint and a messy brown wig, along with fangs. He was supposed to look like a hobgoblin, according to the director and makeup team.

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Nov 5

In "Ominous Out of Context" I present the following two text messages I received.

Two received text messages, time-stamped at 9:29 PM.
"I think I am looking at you."
"You are in shadow."

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Oct 22

A passage which stopped me cold for thought.

"There is a delectable tension between you. Of enemies who are friends, perhaps. Lovers who are enemies? Opponents who know another well and respect one another. If you respect her, it's with reason. It's impossible to respect total evil. It cannot respect itself."
From "The White Rose", the Third Chronicle of the Black Company, by Glen Cook.

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Oct 20

Without downloading anything, where are you mentally right now?

A white bunny frolics on a light blue background, surrounded by white flowers. A caption reads, "This too shall pass. But what the fuck?"

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Oct 19

This motherfucker wants to be the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral.

A screencap from the @ProBirdRights Twitter account dated August 16, 2013.

It reads, "I am feel uncomfortable when we are not about me?"

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Oct 9

A little over twelve years ago, this bundle of mischief and joy wrapped in soft silky fur came into our lives. Today, he left us, with his dignity still intact, for age had bitten off too many chunks of his health. Goodbye, Mr. Pickles. We were truly blessed to have you in our lives.

A young black and white minilop rabbit, sitting on a blue table in a veterinarian's office. His eyes are bright, his whiskers askew as he looks at the camera.

The minilop sits on a cardboard box that lets him look out a window. He's standing on his back legs, curiously regarding the outside world.

The minilop is now standing on the arm of a black leather couch, watching the camera in the hopes there are treats coming.

The bunny is older now -- the eye facing the camera is white from a cataract; he's sitting like a little loaf of bread, with his face resting on his dinner plate.

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Sep 26

A black and white minilop rabbit, flopped on a blue carpet, almost to the point of being a puddle. The picture is taken at carpet level.

It's a Pip!@nopipbutcpip· Sep 13

No, he's offering it as his own sentiment. The rest of the quote makes it quite clear. "I don't wanna think that way" -- but he DOES. He's arguing, pretty clearly, that the existence of affirmative action means that he automatically questions the qualifications of anyone non-white he sees.